College free agency is on the horizon.
While the NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal does not officially open until April 7, players have already entered and many more will follow.
And with eight players graduating from the UCLA men’s basketball roster following the 2025-26 campaign and just two recruits committing to UCLA, coach Mick Cronin will have to retool his roster through the portal – just as he did the previous two seasons.
The college basketball transfer portal is a frenzy, arguably more chaotic and hard to follow than that of the sport’s professional counterpart. A record-breaking 2,320 players entered the portal last season – giving coaches, general managers and fans alike too many names, schools and movements to keep track of.
However, the portal season may be the very first, and most imperative, step toward a championship trophy.
Look at the teams in the Final Four.
UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. and Silas Demary Jr. both went to Storrs through the portal and now lead the Huskies in all five statistical categories. Outside of Arizona’s premier freshman, guard Jaden Bradley was this year’s Big 12 Player of the Year. Illinois guards Andrej Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell average the second- and fourth-most points on the team, respectively.
And Michigan’s Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. are all projected first-round picks in the 2026 NBA draft, with the first two taking Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year awards, respectively.
The days of recruiting, developing and retaining players are, for the most part, over.
Five-star freshmen and veteran transfers headline championship-caliber teams.
And the squads with the most proficient rosters are often the programs with the most resources at their disposals in the NIL era.
Take the Wolverines, for example. Johnson and Lendeborg are making a combined four million dollars, per On3. Other schools, such as Kentucky and Duke, have a reported 10-plus million dollars to spend on players.
UCLA, however, is strapped for cash – at least according to Cronin.
The Bruin head honcho said he would like an additional five million dollars to spend on accumulating roster talent to compete on a more even playing field after UCLA fell to UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 22.
Even if Cronin does not get the heavier check that he is hoping for, there is reason to believe that the Bruins will have more capital to spend this offseason after seniors forward Tyler Bilodeau, guard Donovan Dent and potentially guard Skyy Clark depart Westwood.
Let’s look at the players and archetypes Cronin and company should be taking a look at come April 7.
If Clark does not get the fifth year of eligibility he is applying for, the Bruins need to pursue a guard to complement sophomore Trent Perry in the backcourt. But reviewing petitions for additional years of eligibility is an exhaustive process, and the final decision will likely come out weeks or months after the portal is over.
UCLA should prioritize a true point guard who can orchestrate the offense, is a capable one-on-one defender and a proficient 3-point shooter. While Perry could see another big jump going into his third year, I struggle to see him replace Dent’s facilitation efforts.
Perry will need additional ball-handling and passing help, regardless of whether Clark returns next season. Dent’s departure marks the loss of 46.6% of the team’s assist total from this season.
While the addition of Dent proved to be exactly what fans thought the Bruins were going to get toward the end of the season, his perimeter offense never truly lived up to the mark of an elite scoring guard. Dent shot just 25.4% from the 3-point line this season, including 40.8% from the field.
Oregon guard and potential transfer Jackson Shelstad is an obvious candidate – scoring 15.6 points per game and dishing out 4.9 assists per game this season – with his elite shooting, but he may lack the defensive presence Cronin demands out of his backcourt. Shelstad will also be a hot commodity in the portal and will likely field calls from the nation’s best programs.
Colorado’s Isaiah Johnson is also an interesting prospect. The Los Angeles local still has three years of eligibility remaining, and he averaged 16.9 points per game on 37.8% shooting from beyond the arc for the Buffaloes last season.
LSU’s Dedan Thomas Jr. is also a high-impact backcourt option, averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 assists through 16 games before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. While Thomas Jr. could likely remain in the SEC, he spent his first two seasons at UNLV and was given an offer from UCLA when he was in high school.
Outside of the backcourt, the Bruins also need a high-impact wing to fortify the small forward position, which would likely allow junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. to move to the four.
An explosive and athletic wing – preferable with the size to create frontcourt versatility – that can defend and shoot efficiently from deep may be the key to the puzzle for a Bruin team that has lacked that type of player since former Bruins Kobe Johnson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. The addition would also give Cronin flexibility throughout the frontcourt.
Guard Miles Byrd is an obvious candidate, coming off his junior season at San Diego State, where he earned Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Byrd averaged 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds to go along with 1.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per game.
While listed as a guard, he stands at 6-foot-6 and could slide in as a wing. He may lack the size to have upward positional versatility, but his defensive tape is impressive, and he could provide the Bruins with a proficient rebounder and interior scorer despite his inefficient perimeter game.
Hailing from Stockton, California, and playing three seasons at SDSU, he has West Coast connections – although he is a top-rated player in the portal and will be receiving calls from many teams.
Ohio State’s Devin Royal is another intriguing prospect. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Buckeyes.
Royal also dropped 22 points and nine boards against UCLA this season, and Cronin likes to take guys that perform well against his team, considering the acquisitions of Dent and Johnson in previous portal periods.
Rounding out the Bruins’ primary positional targets is a true shot-blocking center that can control the interior, pound the glass and score efficiently around the rim. UCLA has “lacked” a consistent center since Adem Bona’s departure, and I would be surprised if Cronin does not acquire one in the offseason.
Junior forward/center Xavier Booker was a solid addition, and it looks like he will stay in Westwood for his senior season. However, Booker has been unable to give UCLA the defensive and rebounding prowess, as well as the true interior scoring abilities that it needed.
Booker will be a solid and consistent bench option who will stretch the floor and give the Bruins proficient 3-point shooting and frontcourt depth, but if UCLA wants to advance beyond the Round of 32, the squad needs to add a true center.
Headlining the current transfer portal is 6-foot-11 center Somtochukwu Cyril. The Georgia transfer averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks while playing just 21.2 minutes per game this season – all on a 75.9% shooting percentage from the field.
Cyril is the top-ranked center currently in the portal, and he is a high-ceiling prospect in a major area of need.
Outside of Cyril, there is Charlotte’s Anton Bonke.
Bonke is an interesting prospect who has already drawn major interest from Big Ten teams because of his 7-foot-2 frame, allowing him to average 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 57.6% shooting from the field.
As hundreds more players enter the portal, new targets will emerge. But regardless, UCLA needs to attack those three areas of need if Cronin wants to build a contender.
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